Picture-hanging nail.



N0. 68|,500. Patented Aug. 27, [90L .W. EDMUNDSON. PICTURE HANGING NAIL (Application filed Dec. 15, 1900.)

(No Model.)

Il L :E i

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

W'ILLIAM EDMUNDSON, OF DENVER, COLORADO.

PICTURE-HANGING NAIL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 681,500, dated August 27, 1901.

Application filed December 15 1900. fierial No- 40,015. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Beit known that I, WILLIAM EDMUNDSON, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Denver, in the county of Arapahoe and State of Colorado, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Picture-Hanging Nails; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to improvements in picture-hanging devices; and the objects of myinvention are, first, to provide a non-walldefacing nail, and, second, to provide a picture-hanging nail with an adjustable head. I attain these objects by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved adj ustable-head picture-nail. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the nail, showing its head vertically elongated. Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the nail, showing the head horizontally elongated; and Fig. 5 shows a perspective view of a full-sized nail supporting a picture.

Similar figures of reference refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 1 designates a nail of small diameter. This nail is preferably round and is made, necessarily, from a very superior quality of steel wire. It is provided with a small head portion 2 at one end and with a sharp drivingpoint 3 at its opposite end. Upon the nail I mount loosely against its head a cap 4,which is intended more particularly as an ornamental feature than as an essential element, and it may be dispensed with entirely, if desired. I have illustrated this cap round in outline; but it may be given any form or outline, and its surface is intended to be decorated and embellished with artistic designs of various characters. I also mount revolubly on the nail a ring 5, whichI term the adjustable head of the nail. When the cap is used, the adjustable head rests up against the cap and the cap rests up against the head of the nail.

copper, in order that it may be bent to elongate it either vertically or horizontally. The nail passes diametrically'through this adj ustable-head ring, loosely through holes placed in the center of the width of the ring at diametrically opposite points. I also place on the nail against the ring a washer 8,which is made of rubber or leather, fitting it to bear tightly, but slidably, on the nail, so that it will remain on the nail and will hold the ring and cap on. I use the washer as a cushion for the adjustable-head ring against the wall when the nail is driven into the wall to prevent the edge of the ring from cutting the wall, or if the wall is papered the paper when the ring is turned on the nail,which itis apt to be by an operator who may desire the rings of a number of nails to stand in the same position. The washer also protects the paper and wall when Withdrawingthe nails from them.

The operation is as follows: The nail is driven into the wall just as any other nail, but as it is very small in diameter it drives easier, and if the wall is hard or a lath or a partition-stud is struck by it it will hold very securely if driven in until the washer and the round ring are clamped between the head of the nail and the wall; but if it is only desired to drive it into the wall a little 'Ways and not up to the washer and ring a portion of the nail would be left exposed between the washer and ring, which would allow the picturecord after it is placed on the nail to work away from the wall, and if this exposed portion of the nail were long enough the cord would slip away far enough from the wall to bend the nail down and allow the picture to fall. Consequently the function of the adjustable head is to allow the nail to be driven into a wall as far as desired and to hold the picture-cord up close against the wall at the point where it goes over the nail, and if this distance does not bring the washer and ring up against the wall the ring is elongated by pinching its opposite sides together, as shown in Fig. 3. The head or ring can be lengthened nearly a quarter of an inch in this manner, and as a full-sized nail is only about an inch long the longitudinal adjustment is sufficient. In the drawings, Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 4 show the picture-nail about three times the size of the smallest nail I make and about twice the size I intend to make the largest nail. On the other hand, if it is found necessary for any reason to drive a nail farther into a wall than up to the washer and adjustable head as they are shown in Figs. 1 and 2 the operator after driving up to the washer continues driving, allowing the ring to flatten against the washer and wall as the nail is driven in, flattening it horizontally, as shown in Fig. 4. After the nail has been driven in to the position desired the picture 9 and cord 10 are hung upon it, as shown in Fig. 5, the cord being placed between the sides of the ring immediately adjacent to the nail and the wall, thus bringingthe weightof the picture directly on the nail at its strongest point.

I have found in practice that a nail about one sixty-fourth to a thirty-second of an inch in diameter and with from one-quarter to fiveeighths insertion in a good solid wall will supporta picture weighing from about six to sixteen pounds.

The nail, which is round and smooth, when driven into a wall makes so small a hole that when withdrawn the hole is not noticeable. Especially is this so on papered walls and at a short distance from them.

While I have especially designed the nail for a picture-hanging nail, it can also be used for supporting decorations, draperies, flags, festoons, and curtains, either permanently or temporarily, in private residences or public halls, churches, or schools.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-- 1. In a non-wall-defacing picture-nail, the combination of a steel nail of very small diameter, having a head portion at one end and a sharp point at its opposite end, with an adjustable head portion on said nail comprising a flat, thin ring constructed of a yielding or pliable metal revolubly mounted on said nail adjacent to its head and a pliable washer mounted on said nail adjacent to said adjustable head and ring, substantially as described.

2. In a non-wall-defacing picture-hanging nail, the combination of a steel nail havinga head portion at one end and a sharp point at its opposite end, with a cap loosely mounted on it adjacent to its head portion, an adj ustable head comprising a ring constructed of a yielding and pliable metal mounted loosely and diametrically through its opposite sides on said nail and positioned against said cap and a flexible Washer fitted tightly but slidably under pressure on said nail, and adapt ed to hold said adjustable head and the cap on said nail and to act as a cushion between said adjustable head and a wall when said nail is driven into a wall, substantially as described.

3. 'In a non-wall-defacing picture-hanging nail, the combination of the nail with an adjustable-head ring of thin, flat, yielding metal revolubly mounted on said nail, substantially as described.

4:. In a picture and drapery hanging nail, the combination of the nail, with an adj ustable-head ring of thin, flat, yielding metal mounted on said nail and adapted to be vertically or horizontally elongated when operatively driven into a wall, substantially as de scribed.

5. In a picture and drapery hanging nail, the combination of the small, round, steel nail with the adjustable-head ring and the flexible washer, substantially as described.

6. In a picture and drapery hanging nail, the combination of the small, round, steel nail having a head portion at one end and a sharp point at its opposite end, with the adjustable head comprising a round ring composed of a yielding or flexible material mounted on said nail and adapted to be extended longitudinally or vertically, the ornamental cap between said adj ustable head and the head portion of said nail, and the flexible washer fitted tightly but slidably under pressure on said nail and adapted to hold said adjustable-head 9 ring and said cap against the head portion of said nail and to act as a cushion between said adjustable head and a wall, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM EDMUNDSON.

Witnesses:

CLAUDE A. DUNN, CLARA IRWIN. 

